Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson and Hawkeye: Hawkeye Grieves Beside the Casket

Take a look at this beautiful young man, Navy SEAL Jon Tumilson and his dog Hawkeye. Tumilson, 35, became a SEAL in 2002. He died in the August helicopter crash in Afghanistan, brought down by a Taliban rocket-propelled-grenade. Thirty-eight Americans were aboard, including some from SEAL Team 6. All aboard died. The video is of the services celebrating the life of Tumilson at the Rockford Senior High auditorium, Rockford, Iowa. Fifteen-hundred attended the services, including his dog Hawkeye, who laid by the casket throughout.

Few in Rockford knew what Tumilson did as a SEAL. The unit works top-secret missions, and Tumilson told few tales other than from training. In one section of the training, Tumilson and fellow SEAL recruits were taken airborne, blindfolded and flown in circles until completely disoriented. The plane flew the recruits off shore until they were out of sight of land. They were ordered to jump out of the plane and find their way back to base.

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Senator George Graham Vest won a court battle and the hearts of dog lovers everywhere when he paid his famous tribute to the dog during the 1870 Burden vs. Hornsby court case in Warrensburg, MO.

“Gentlemen of the jury, the best friend a man has in this world may turn against him and become his enemy. His son or daughter whom he has reared with loving care may prove ungrateful. Those who are nearest and dearest to us — those whom we trust with our happiness and good name — may become traitors in their faith. The money that a man has he may lose. It flies away from him, perhaps when he needs it most. A man’s reputation may be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered action. The people who are prone to fall on their knees to do us honor when success is with us may be the first to throw the stone of malice when failure settles its cloud upon our heads. The one absolute, unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world — the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous — is his dog.

“Gentlemen of the jury, a man’s dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow, and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master’s side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.

“If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death.”

Thank you for this lovely tribute to
JT and Hawkeye. He was, is and will
always be an amazing human and fearless
warrior.

Respectfully,

Courtney Ellzey

Don Laird

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Theodore Roosevelt-
American President, 1901 – 1909
1858 – 1919

Nom Deplume

I knew of Vest’s closing argument and the story of Old Drum. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw this story.

Such a gut wrenching photograph. My prayers for Jon and Hawkeye. May God Bless those souls that grieve for us, unbeknownst,unwavering, unflinching. Hawkeye, thank you for sharing your master with us, “he done good”.